Page 81 of Wrecked for Love
“Basing it off your experience, I see?” I mocked. “I bet your argument was more than that. Bedroom affairs, perhaps?”
He tried to hide his growl. Then, he stepped closer. “To be honest, I have no qualms about interrupting this blissful life of yours.” He really put his face right in front of mine. “No one crosses the Vosses!”
I gritted. “It rhymes nicely, but soon enough, even the Dead Poets Society won’t take you in. Kidnapping me? Bad move, Paper Tiger.”
Lucien crowed. “Look, gents, we’ve got a feisty one.”
The tone, the words—it was almost eerie how much he sounded like his brother.
He continued, “Quick with her hands and sharp with her words. But still as gullible as a donkey chasing a carrot.” He flicked his fingers, and Fritzy stepped forward to stand beside him. “Meet my cousin.”
I spat in Fritzy’s direction, the bitterness on my tongue rising. “You miserable snake! You’re a disgrace to anyone who’s ever worked a ranch, always taking orders like a coward.”
Fritzy’s face flushed with embarrassment, his eyes darting to the floor. The guards holding me yanked me back as I lunged forward, desperate to get closer, to land just one hit on him.
“Whoa, whoa!” Lucien laughed, clearly entertained. Now I was seated, arms pressed against the chair’s armrests. “Easy there, little bird. Fritzy wasn’t your problem. Your Elia—now, he was the problem. That’s the thing about love, isn’t it? It makes everything about the other person. You’d do anything to protect him. And that’s exactly how we got you. The moment it became about your stupid boyfriend, you walked right into our trap.”
A man leaned down and whispered something into Lucien’s ear which made his smile spread slowly, like Lucifer savoring a fresh soul.
“Guess what, darlin’? Your beloved Elia is on his way.”
I thrashed against the restraints, wrath and desperation burning through me. But before I could do much, the two men flanking me forced me back into the chair and tied me down tight.
“If you hurt Elia, hell have mercy on you! You know well what I’m capable of!” I shouted, my eyes shooting to Little Vossy, who looked as hopeless as an obese house cat.
Lucien dismissed me with a look, then said, “Did Elia ever tell you about the blood feud between the Vosses and the Lucases? It stretches back generations. We’ve always been ateach other’s throats. The Lucases…they’re nothing but savages. The Lazy Moose? That barren strip of land wasn’t much. The rest of the farm, all that fertile ground—that was ours.”
He paused, his face marred with fury. “But those sneaky cunts! They started shifting land boundaries and bribing the sheriff. And bit by bit, they stole the best pieces of our property, claiming it as their own.”
I shook my head, refusing to believe a word of it. “Good ranchers don’t just decide to become scum like you. Even the land knows you don’t belong.”
He whistled. “She’s more than just feisty, this one.” Clapping his hands, he leaned in close. “I’m going to have so much fun breaking you.”
“If it’s revenge for your brother you want, come at me. Leave Elia out of it. I’m the one who made him this way!” I shot a look at Little Vossy in his wheelchair.
“I ain’t questioning you. Whatever you gave him wasn’t just some spanking. His spine never stood a chance.” Lucien cast a look at his brother, torn between pity and contempt. “Maybe he deserved it. I wish his brain wasn’t the size of a bird’s, but who cares? I’m not interested in reasons. I just want Elia Lucas to pay—for what you’ve done and for what his family’s done. Two for one. Efficient, don’t you think?”
“Leave Elia out of this!” I bit out.
“Can’t do that. He’s always in it, Claire. And don’t think you’re off the hook either. There’s something special about watching a woman’s heart break. With her man hopelessly at my mercy, the possibility is endless,” he said.
He then took a step back, casually gesturing toward the doorway, where a group of men stood huddled. “I think it’s time you met someone.” He grinned.
Before I could process his words, the men at the door began to shift, parting like they were moving for somethingunstoppable. And then in stepped an absolute giant of a man, his frame filling the room. The weight of him was tangible as he walked in.
“Meet Saxum,” Lucien announced, “a rising star on his way to his first fight at The Mecca.”
The impact of Saxum’s entrance stalled for a beat at the mention of “The Mecca.” But I buried my reaction. Annette had been right. Lucien was obsessed with fighting and the illusion of celebrity. So far, he hadn’t given me any sign that he knew my real name or why that city—the one tied to The Mecca—still haunted me.
Lucien chuckle. “Not feeling the hype? The Mecca of combat sports—Madison Square Garden.” His smirk deepened. “Try to keep up.”
“Thanks for the bodyguard,” I mocked.
Lucien laughed. “He’s not here to protect anyone, Claire. Poor Elia probably thinks he’s coming to fight me tonight.”
A leaden hush filled my chest as the horrifying truth fell into place. I slid my eyes to Saxum. The giant wore a smile, one aimed squarely at me. Elia wasn’t just walking into a trap. He was about to be thrown into the arena.
And his opponent? I was staring right at him.
